What Happened
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has announced that retirees and pensioners expecting Cepanim payments must complete an online registration process before collecting the benefit in June 2026. The system is scheduled to be ready in April and will allow beneficiaries to validate their information and confirm whether they meet the requirements for payment.
Cepanim refers to the Certificados de Pago Negociables por Intereses por Mora, tied to the 3% interest generated by the delayed second portion of the 13th-month bonus retained between 1972 and 1983.
How the Registration Works
The Office for Cepadem Attention and Delivery will manage the website where eligible people can review their records and verify their status. Once registration is completed, beneficiaries will be able to schedule an appointment to receive their check.
To complete the process, applicants must present a copy of their personal identity card. Widows and widowers must also provide a marriage certificate and the death certificate of their spouse.
Who Can Collect the Payment
If the beneficiary has died, the payment will go to heirs in a set order of priority: first the spouse, then a partner in a common-law union, followed by children, and then other relatives through the corresponding succession process.
The benefit applies to both public-sector employees and private-sector workers who were active during the period covered by the law. The total amount of unpaid interest exceeds $2 million, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Background on the Cepanim Law
Law 506, sanctioned on January 15, 2026, established payment of interest on the delayed second portion of the 13th-month salary for the 1972-1983 period. Cepadem covered both principal and 3% interest, while Cepanim covers only interest accrued through 2017.
The legislation had been approved by the National Assembly in 2022, returned by the previous executive branch over objections, and later approved by insistence in third debate on October 26, 2022. The Supreme Court of Justice later received an unconstitutionality challenge, which it dismissed on August 25, 2025.
What This Means for Beneficiaries
With the online registration system set to launch, retirees and pensioners will be able to organize their paperwork ahead of the June payment window. The process is designed to confirm eligibility and streamline the delivery of checks for thousands of people connected to the long-running compensation program.
Beneficiaries are being advised to prepare the required documents in advance and monitor the Ministry of Economy and Finance website for the registration opening in April.